The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1887-09-09
TIE Cruise and capsuts o. the Masgases
and ]
Lively Recoileesions Of "a ex.niockade
Runner's Experisnes on
Charleston Bar.
Riuding Uncle sans Cruisers Many
Times. But Caught
At Last.

SuuGtAce uetWce NdsSaus N. IL, and
tho south atlantic ports. From the
earliest establishment of the blockade
until the fall of the seaboard cities it
may be safely said that scarcely u week
elapsed when two or moro of these ves-
sells might not have been found moored
at their wharves in Charleston, VIII
mington and Mobile. discharging rich
cargoes of merchandise or loading with
cotton for another desperate tug with
the fortunes of war.
The Margaret and Jessie was IN
English steamer of about 600 tons. and
under the name of Douglass had piled
regularly bet xccn tho Isle of Man and
Liverpool. Provided with double en-
gincs and a powerful frame there were
few vessels of her class which in
smooth water could show q cleaner
pair of heels to others in pursuit. Her
capacity for slowing cotton was equal
to about 800 bales, and the usual time
made between Charleston and Nassau
did not exceed in the average forty
eight hours.
She had been purchased in 1862 by
. w%cll-known Charleston firm for E2O,-
600. and during eight round trips met
with uninterrupted good fortune, max
ing money for her owners and fame for
her captain, who was known to be not
only n of the best pilots on tho coast,
but u brave, young, dashing and judi
cious commander.
1t was the good fortune of the writer
only the other day to meet him after
the lapse of many years; but this time
he was in command of ono of the
steamers that ply between New York
and Charleston. II is no breach of
confidence to state that his name is
Captain bob" Lockwood of the At
lanta, and every member of the s.Old
Guard" of New York loves him like a
brother. C%uriously enough one of the
officers with him on the Margaret and
Jessie vas also making a visit at the
same time, and it is from the latter
that the following narrative of one or
two of the exciting episodes incident to
the raining of the confederate blockade
was obtained.
we left Nassau in May, 1868, with
IN assorted cargo OF merchandise, u
portion of which was for the confcder-
ate government" he began. "When
we arrived off Charleston the federal
fleet was discovered to be in unusual
force, and the most of Ills believed we
should be compelled to turn back. AT
any rate, few of US cared to take the
risk of that gauntlet of heavy guns. 1t
was determined, however, to keep the
blockadcrs we'll down on the ed e of
the horizon till after dark, and make a
bold dash for the harbor. Probably a
couple of hours passed, when VIC Gid
ed suddenly within q stones throw of
q United States steamer that lay di-
rcctly in our path. In an instant quick,
sharp orders rang across the water,
and the rapid tread Of men told US
that we had been seen. 1t seemed to
be scarcely a second longer before.
with q flash and whir.r-r, - shot went
shrieking by us into the darkness. Az
other followed, and another and SIN
other. Up went o dozen signals from
as nearly as many ships; calcium
lights cleaned like the eyes of mon
sters, sweeping the circle and darling
their rays even upon IL own decks.
But as yet We were undiscovered save
by the single ship whose quiet our
dash had SO rudcly startled into action.
"All this time the Little Maggie as
we called her-sailors, you know, have
pet I'M for almost everything-was
cutting tho water like a knife, the wind
in her favor and the sea not roegher
than the current of her. own native
Clyde: We knew that we were not
more than three or four miles from
Fort Sumter, and every moment was
bringing us nearer home. Suddenly
there was a flash on our port beam. 1t
was apparently not more thAh 800
yards distant, and another ironSompli-
ment whistled through the air.sthis
time a fair limo shot, but too high. >
"Our direction and locality We're
now known to at least four-fifths of the
blockad;ng fleet, and they were in full
chase, marking every few seconds of
their progress with exclamation points
of revcrbcrating thunder. Our neigh
or in the rear came plunging on in
swift pursuit. throwing shells from his
bow guns which exploded sometimes
on this side anS sometimes on the
other, while the VI kels abeam, judging
from their line of J. were hurrying
on to intercept us before we should
finally escape their clutches and cross
the bar.
sIt was tho most exciting moment 1
ever experienced in running the block
ade. and probably it was the severest
caanonade ever directed against a
blockade runner during the war. with
out resulting in capture or material
damage. AS to Captain Bob, here, I
have c him under many trying cir
cunistances, hut he never appeared
moro calm or collected than when hc
walked up and down the bridge of his
ship in the midst of that hot fire. coolly
watching the progress Of the chase.
1--WE had on all the steam we could
carry, and we knew that there was no
craft in that hostile fleet which could
overtakc us in a fair race. Bnt the
question--and a grave one, too--was
whether we might not be cut off by
some ship lying in wait across our
courfe. We could only take our